Who pays when a stray golf ball damages a vehicle on the highway?

A woman from Newmarket said she hoped a golf club would pay for repairs to her vehicle after a flying ball struck and dented her car while she was on the highway.

Nikki Rastgari said was driving by a golf course, travelling on the ramp from Highway 7 to Bathurst Street, when the roof of her Honda CRV was struck with a golf ball.

“The sound was very scary,” Rastgari said. “When I look at my mirror, I saw a golf ball bouncing at the back and on my right side there is a golf club.”

“I was shaking for a couple of hours honestly.”

The incident left a large dent in her vehicle. Rastgari said that she went to the Richmond Hill Golf Club and explained what happened in hopes that they would pay for the repairs.

“He said you have to go through your own insurance.”

The club director told CTV News Toronto that a ball striking a car is a very rare incident.

“The golf club takes all precautions to avoid this type of accident and has safety netting erected in areas that are at risk during play,” said Doug Young, Club Director at Richmond Hill Golf Club. “We regret this happened and have as a goodwill gesture offered to pay the deductible for the repair of the vehicle.”

The deductible is about $1,000 and the repair estimates for the vehicle are between $2,000 and $3,000. Rastgari said she is concerned that making a claim could affect her insurance premiums.

She also hopes the course reviews its netting to make sure another car isn’t hit by a stray ball.

Photos

Nikki Rastgari's car is dented after a flying golf ball struck the roof of her vehicle.